Ariana in Underland
by BookLuver16
Summary: She is NOT Alice. And this is not Wonderland. So why was she having a dream about a rude cat and an impassive White prince? OCxOC mostly original characters
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**To the old readers, A.K.A. ppl who read these chapters BEFORE yesterday(01-4-12) and today(1-5-12), I've made revisions from ch.1-6. Revisions as in added a few more sentences and changed a few words. No there is no important detail I added, just reread my chapters and I hated the errors in it. The description for the boy (no name yet for new readers, that's a spoiler) has a few more details and I made the sentences less wordy. I think the story is much smoother now. Don't you, old readers?

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><p>She hummed softly to an unknown tune, her pencil complimenting the hum as she rhythmically tapped the pencil on the desk. Her gaze was unseeing towards the teacher that droned on about who knows what. The thoughts running through her head were of a typical sixteen year old girl. They were running along the lines of: when is class going to end? <em>This is so boring. Gun, meet head. Head, meet gun. Boom!<em>

"Ariana! Pay attention!" The furious teacher scolded, her scratchy voice cutting through the girl's train of thought. Ariana shrieked in surprise, jumping in her seat and slamming her right knee in the desk with a force that sent jolts of pain running through her knee and calf. The class laughed, some wincing as thoughts of even more homework than usual killing their plans for a late September Tuesday. Placing a hand on her stuttering heart, Ariana squeaked out a tentative "yes?"

"Pay attention!" The teacher turned back to the board after she gave a threatening glare to Ariana. Rubbing her knee and concealing a loud ow, Ariana stared at the board petulantly. "We're going to watch a video and during that I want you all to fill out this worksheet. The answers are going to be in this video so don't think you can give me a half-assed answer that you made up. I expect this to be turned in when the bell rings." The teacher glanced at the clock. Ariana followed her and internally groaned when she saw that there was 50 minutes of class left. The lights were turned off and the title "Process of Reproduction" popped up. The rustle of paper that was being passed was the only sound in the room.

After 5 minutes of watching the grossly disturbing video that would forever scar Ariana for life, she put her head down on her crossed arms. Smiling at her good fortune of being next to the dark corner, she decided that a little nap wouldn't hurt and closed her eyes._ I'll wake up in time to start writing the first answer._ With her self assurance, she fell asleep.

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><p>The rough shaking disturbed her out of a wonderful dream involving ice cream, a blowtorch, and homework. Muttering a silent curse, Ariana abruptly sat upright despite her back's protest, the shaking coming to a halt. A crack reached her ears when she twisted her spine in hopes of getting the kinks out of her back. Grimacing, she rubbed her eyes. She shot a glare at the blur she hoped to be the one who woke her.<p>

"Peasants should not be sleeping in the middle of the road." The voice said.

"I can sleep wherever I want!" She shouted indignantly. Ariana stood, tripping slightly on her long dress. _Who was he to call me a peasant?_ Her hands were on her hips, the feel of silk was cool and soft under her hands - the feeling was growing in the back of her mind like a balloon until it popped into a small, yet large thought. _Wait a minute, why am I wearing a dress?_ The last of her bone weary tiredness wore off as shock and panic took over. She glanced down at the layered blue silk dress that one would wear to a fancy party. Eyes wide in ever growing confusion, she opened her mouth - to do what she didn't know, but she was leaning toward screaming - at the same time she saw the owner of the voice.

His hair was a sharp white-silver blade that cut his neck and almost reached his shoulders with straight strands. A pointed jaw led to broad shoulders, followed by a torso that was hinted to be toned with the flattering long white buttoned shirt that covered up his form. Black pants of a high quality covered his long legs. A sword encased in a silver sheath hung at his waist. Black boots laced up to his calf halfway, his tall form made all the more impressive. Cold onyx eyes stared back at her from a pale face with an intensity that chilled and heated her body at the same time. His nose, tilted up in its arrogance, and high cheekbones, added to his noble air. "Are you quite finished gawking at me?" His deep voice washed over her with a sharp bite, slapping her back to reality.

"I - I -," Ariana stammered, heat blossoming on her pale cheeks.

Taking a few steady breaths for her fast beating heart while the male of seventeen or eighteen years of age observed her with a blank stare, Ariana calmed the little - okay, large - part of her that just wanted to admire the man's beauty for a few minutes.

Trying to form words with her scrambled brains, her mouth opened and closed several times. Turning gracefully, the man walked away from what he deemed a waste of time. He only gained a few feet away from her when she finally took notice with her slow brain.

"Hey!" Ariana ran to match up with the man's long strides. As she kept up with the man's fast pace, a thousand questions ran through her mind. Deciding she wanted answers, she stood in front of the man, knowing he wouldn't stop without an interference.

Halting in front of her, he stared unblinkingly back when she peered up at him behind her blond hair. His lip curled back in a familiar gesture. The peasant was a nuisance and he instantly regretted waking her up to appease his modicum curiosity. "Off with her head". Iracebeth's preferred quote described his building anger toward the peasant quite well.

Ariana felt a streak of fear go through her heart when the man silently snarled at her. His unearthly hair gave the snarl an even more feral look. The threat of danger was apparent. Not backing down though, she stood up even taller. She only reached the man's shoulder and it gave her a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She tilted her chin up until she met the man's icy eyes with all the confidence she had left. _Which wasn't much_, she thought.

The man felt his anger building at each defiant action the girl took against him. Her stubborn chin and insolent manner grated his legendary patience. If it had been any other day, when his mother had not demanded he go to the white witch - after he had finally found a lead to Lilith...a century the fools spent with their pathetic excuse of searching - than he would have ignored the girl until she decided to end her childish tirade. The  
>idea of violence was appealing, but it was not in his nature to prey on the weak. The sun's rays brought his attention that the journey he was making, before the peasant rudely interrupted him, would have to be brought to a halt sooner than was planned. He observed the distance he would have to travel in order to maintain his schedule with a critical eye. He was nothing if not punctual. It did not matter to him if the only creature he was meeting at the designated point was himself. If it was his desire to do something, he would obliterate any insignificant obstacle there was in his path to achieve it. The peasant took another breath, signalling to him that she would talk.<p>

"Look, I have no idea where I am or-", Ariana was cut off by the man's answer.

"Underland," was his clipped answer.

"Where is that?"

"You are here, are you not?"

She frowned but nodded.

"Then you have your answer." He walked once again, gaining plenty of distance, though he was not rushed in his movements.

Ariana stared at the man's back with irritated shock. She looked at her surroundings with curious eyes when she could no longer see even a speck of his form. Giant trees with leaves the size of her head in vibrant shades of green made up most of the forest. She hummed to herself thoughtfully. Eying the trees around her with appreciation and wonder, she walked around with tentative steps. She paused in front of two large flowers, one the color of fluorescent pink and the other a dusk blue.

"What are you doing standing around here for?" The voice of an elderly lady snapped after a few moments of silence.

Adriana balked. She rubbed her eyes furiously. _This is not happening to me._

"Young folks these days are so rude," an elderly man commented in a wheeze.

_I'm dreaming. There's no way flowers are talking to me. Definitely dreaming._

"Dreaming she says," the woman crossed her leaves that substituted as arms.

_I said that out loud?_ Realizing she spoke her thoughts once again, she decided to shut her mouth.

"Now sister, she might be a little off in the head. You can't expect her to understand you, you know." The man chastised the woman gently.

"The Hatter is more mad than her, and his hearing is just as fine as mine." Her petals seemed to bristle like an annoyed cat's.

"Quite right, dear sister." He petted her leaves in a soothing gesture, getting her mood to soften. A leaf still on his sister, the man flower turned towards Ariana with eyes that reminded her of a grandfather's. "Now who are you, young one?"

The tone in which he spoke eased some of Ariana's jittery nerves enough for her to respond normally. "I'm Ariana."


	2. Chapter 2

She stared at the bickering couple patiently. _The best way to learn is to watch and hush up!_ It was one of the many quotes that her mother told her and one of the few that she listened to. Action man announces: And now tuning into the Life of Ariana. Camera zooms into one of Ariana's many screwed up dreams. Currently her mind has created a bipolar couple that can spar with a sharp tongue but has a problem with people who have no manners. Let's watch. Ariana smiled faintly.

"I don't care what you say! She is not her!" The man flower yelled.

"You blind bat, you can't even see her so who are you to tell me if she's not her!" A rock thrown.

"Don't you throw rocks at me you crazy old prune!" Flying rock.

"What's a prune!" The question was shouted.

"It's what you are!" His eyes playful in their vindictive intentions.

"I hate liars!" Bug thrown.

"Well I hate your mother! She has bugs gnawing on her leaves and her berries are all dried up!"

"We have the same mother, grandpa!" Mushroom smacks into a blue petal.

"I know! And I'm not your grandpa!" Mud splatters on pink petals.

"I know," she mocked in a whine, then shrieked when more mud invaded her mouth.

Then more rocks and clumps of dirt. Ariana ducked. _Was that a branch?_

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><p>The sound of trickling water and heavy wheezing made Ariana frown. "Are you guys done?" She looked over at the flowers resting on one of the many leaves growing from the tree. Her 5'5 body stood beside the panting forms.<p>

"I am not a 'guy'," the flower lady protested weakly, smacking her brother when he muttered a reply of "I doubt that."

Ariana hid a smile behind her hand. She cleared her throat when the pink flower opened her - mouth?- again. "As fun as this all is, I was wondering...how do I get out of this dream?"

The pink flower frowned. "What are you blathering about?" The woman turned to her brother, not waiting for a response. "What is this girl blathering on about?"

The man rubbed a leaf on his stigma, it was reminiscent of a hand rubbing on a chin thoughtfully. "_She_ had the same response as Ariana."

"You admit I'm right then?"

"No - ", Ariana cut in before they could jump at each others' - stems - _again_ , "Who is this 'she' you keep on talking about?"

The two flowers conversed with each other through pointed looks and glares. Ariana once again passed the time with a soft humming, waiting somewhat patiently.

After a moment in silent deliberation, the two faced her simultaneously. The serious look they gave Ariana stunned for a second before she forced herself to achieve the calm she'd felt during this entire dream.

"Alice," they said together with a tone of finality.

Ariana blinked, the pent up emotions that built up in the dream rushing out. _Alice? _The _Alice of Wonderland? Nice going Ariana, you have officially drived yourself insane with this dream. What have __I been eating? Nothing, I had to skip breakfast so that I wouldn't be late for class. Eeek! I am so dead! The teacher is going to kill me! What am I going to do? I've probably slept through half the movie. I haven't written a damn thing! GAH! This dream is worst than the one I had with that psycho clown and Egyptian dancing hippies!_

During Ariana's mental outburst, the two siblings watched Ariana as she paced furiously, tripping at times. '_Words'_ leaked out of her mouth that had the siblings wondering if she truly was as mad as the Hatter. They had their answer as the girl tore the heels off her shoe in jerky and erratic movements. _Yes. _

As if she heard them, Ariana rushed up to the siblings with passionate, though slightly crazed, eyes.

"Pinch me!" She shouted at them.

"She's even madder than the Hatter, brother!" The pink flower shrieked at her brother in surprise, hiding behind her brother as if to shield herself from the insanity.

"Let us ponder this matter delicately without hopping to misinformed conclusions, sister. She may be Alice...an Alice gone bonkers though. The resemblance between them _is_ uncanny." His voice soothed his sister but also brought her a rush of excitement and eagerness.

His sister pushed herself away from her hiding spot as she bounced in place. "Do you really think so? Oh, I can't wait for her to vanquish the bloody head once and for all!" She let out a squeal of pure delight worthy of a child. "I could just grow berries! I haven't felt this young since the White Queen took over again!"

Meanwhile, Ariana pinched herself. Over and over until her arms ached. "This doesn't make any sense. I _know_ this is a dream. Why isn't it working?" Her mind worked furiously to solve the problem. _In my dreams I get hurt. Wait...bruises! I hurt my knee in class! There has to be a bruise or some sort of mark if this is real._ She lifted up the dress on her left side with shaky breathing and a thumping heart. _There isn't a bruise, I'm sure there isn't._

Blink. Blink.

"Aaaahh!" Her shriek rang out through the clearing. About half a mile away, a man's ear twitched and the creatures unfortunate enough to be in proximity to the scream buried their head's in their folded arms or a nearby tree.

The Cheshire Cat shook its' head and floated between the flowers and the girl. "It looks like you've become a wild banshee Alice," he purred, adding another insult as she fell rather ungracefully. "All the King's horses, and all the King's men, could not put Humpty Dumpty together again. But Alice fell and walked once again, just to fall over a fountain pen."

"I quite like that one Chess," the blue one clapped softly. His sister nodded in agreement.

Ariana on the other hand was not amused and told him so. "THAT was not funny. And what were you doing under my skirt?" She gave him a look that seemed to border on a glare, though it hadn't quite fallen off the edge.

"You have a bruise Alice. Would you like me to bind it for you?" His ear to ear grin spread as "Alice" showed her ever growing anger at the name with the sound of grinding teeth and red cheeks.

_That cat better be floating with one eye open. _Ariana growled when the Cheshire Cat only seemed to mock her by vanishing until he was only a whirling head. Although she had never read the books or seen the movie, she had some basic information about the characters of _Alice in Wonderland. _Glancing at the hand that was still holding onto her skirt, she took a glimpse at the bruise through layers of blue silk. _Well I'll be damned, this dream sure is tricky. If I wasn't crazy, I'd say I was in Underland. _The name brought her mind to latch onto the image of soft looking white hair and icy midnight black eyes. It brought a faint blush to her cheeks that the three onlookers mistook for anger.

When Cheshire's body appeared in Ariana's sight she didn't fall like she did the first encounter. She faced Cheshire with a small grin as if to point out her success. Ariana was not usually competitive, but once she was into it, she was childish as the best of them_, _fully capable of doing a victory dance and ass-rubbing it in the loser's face.

_"_Are you sure you're not Alice, _Alice_?" The Cheshire Cat inquired.

Ariana's victory grin instantly melted into a frown. "Yes." The answer was firm and unyielding, complete with a solid nod.

The Cheshire Cat made a noise in the back of his throat that was between a "hmm" and a purr, his thoughts processing. "Very well."

"You are not going to deny that she is not Alice?" The pink flower exclaimed. Her brother watched silently.

"If she says she is not Alice, then she is not Alice. Such a shame too." The floating cat answered.

"She looks so much like Alice!" The now cross flower scooped a lump of dirt and threw it.

"Hey!" Ariana shouted indignantly when she barely managed to avoid the dirt that flew at her face with surprising accuracy.

"Looking like Alice when you're not even Alice. You should be ashamed!" The flower admonished.

_I can't believe she's giving me a guilt trip for looking the way I look! _Ariana stewed, agitated with the flower's actions. _And it's working!_ She never did deal well with disappointment, especially pointed at her. A part of her felt sorry that the pink flower was sad. A real small part. After all, the flower did wrongly accuse her, paired with the fact that she threw dirt at her and even the typically calm Ariana would have a few fried nerves.

"Now Hadley, you cannot blame Ariana for looking like Alice." He patted his sister's leaf with his own as he gently scolded her.

"The cat agrees with Cornelius," he purred.

"I second that," Ariana added.

Hadley bent in a crouch with her entire stem rigid. Ariana watched the flower with a calm stare, the sound of Cheshire's low rumbling a soundtrack in her mind. Cornelius stayed in place with the same attitude as Ariana, but with a touch a thoughtfulness. A moment of tense quiet hung in the air.

"Hmph!" Hadley folded her arms and turned her face away.

With that little problem solved, Ariana's thought went back to the biggest problem. _I really need to wake up right now. _The thought of whatever consequence her teacher was going to give her - it frankly scared the hell out of her. Thoughts of wearing that old fashioned dunce cap or getting screamed at made Ariana panic even more. One of the consequences that Ariana's mind imagined was her teacher, screaming at her until fire came out of her mouth to burn Ariana to a crisp. The intelligent part of her knew the teacher couldn't do that, but in her defense, she once yelled at a student until they cried. It was embarrassing to even the audience when the boy started crying loudly. A shudder ran through her. _I really don't want to die._ With that thought in mind, Ariana decided to see if Cheshire could help, though she highly doubted it.

"Cheshire?" Ariana called.

"Yes?" He purred, the 'e' stretching out lazily.

"Do you think you could help me get out of this - place?" Out of the corner of her eye, Hadley opened her mouth once again. But before she could utter a shriek, Cornelius thankfully shut her mouth.

"Yes." His smile wide as ever.

Cheering internally, Ariana waited for Cheshire to do something..._Something...Anything._ "Well?" Her patience was tick-tocking out so it came out with a hint of exasperation.

"Yes, I am."

"Yes you are what?" Her eyebrows drawing together to show curious frustration.

"I didn't know you were hard of hearing."

"I'm not."

"Then don't question my answer to the question."

"I - I'm sorry?" She didn't mean for Cheshire to become annoyed, though his tone didn't suggest that at all, his response made it seem he was. Confusion was a terrible feeling, able to easily persuade a person with its haze of tongue-twisting.

"Chess, you're confusing the poor girl." Cornelius gently reprimanded, keeping an eye on his sister and the other on the cat. The Cheshire Cat's response was to have his entire body, except his head, disappear and tilt to the side as if to shrug. Ariana sighed. "You are more open with your emotions than Alice," Cornelius observed.

This time it was Ariana's turn to shrug. Turning back to Cheshire, she asked again. "How do I get out of here?"

"If you walk you'll go from 'here' to 'there' ", he responded.

"How far do I have to walk?"

"Just move to your right."

Doing that exactly, she waited - for what she didn't know - a bright light? A spaceship to beam her up to motherboard? Now she was just getting her movies mixed up.

Waiting a few moments - or five - she stood there. With a huff of aggravation, she turned to Cheshire and the flower siblings. "Why am I still here?"

"Ariana if you wish to leave Underland, go to the white witch. She might be able to help you." Cornelius jumped to answer before Chess, or worse, his sister, decided to send the poor girl in a ditz.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" To be honest, Cornelius was the one she trusted the most - sort of - out of the three of them, so it was a bit annoying for him to prolong the 'Get-Ariana-out of this dream-so she won't die a violent death-by Georgezilla' plan.

"You never asked." He answered simply.

She groaned quietly in frustration.

"'I will accompany you," Cheshire tacked on.

She groaned louder. "UGH!"

"Definitely not Alice," Hadley commented.

Deciding to not even respond, Ariana's thoughts were revolving around her death. _Dear God, if you let me survive this trip with the cat, I swear I will go to church every Sunday and_ - she glanced at Cheshire who paused in his floating/talking to give her _that smile_ - _and - and I'll even sacrifice a damn cat for __you!_


	3. Chapter 3

Ariana stared - well, more like _glared -_ at the small fire. After a few moments of an intense staring contest with the fire, she lifted her head from her crossed arms. "Cheshire?"

From his perch upon a lone branch, the Cheshire Cat's smoky emerald eyes opened. The small neon blue stripes seemed to almost glow in the night. "Ariana," he echoed, the manner and the few things she knew about his personality telling her that he was mocking her...without _actually_ mocking her.

She hummed inside her mind. _I wish I could do that, such a useful talent._ "Are you sure nothing bad is going to happen?" She stared at the dark forest with a wary eye as if to emphasize it to Cheshire. He was acting so carefree to her that you'd think he was just strolling - no, _floating_ - across a sunshine garden.

"I can't know everything. Why don't you pretend you're a seer and tell me." His response was lazily said as always.

"You're going to get hit by a rock," she threw a rock at Cheshire with a flick of her wrist. _And whaddya know, a rock. _A frown appeared on her face when he vanished only to appear in front of her, tail wagging calmly.

"Red is a good color on you Ariana," he paused, "being a seer, however, is not."

"I never said I was a good one," she pointed out.

He grinned. Observing the fire, he said "the fire is about to vanish. If we are going to sleep through the night, we must acquire more kindling." Cheshire's head was supported on his two gray furry arms.

_How his arms can even balance in the air is beyond me. _Ariana stared back at Cheshire. "You're telling me to do it, aren't you?" _THAT smile appeared ominously. _She sighed, rising up. It was late and she didn't feel like fighting with him, knowing that if she gave him a more - '_active'_ - response, they wouldn't have any fire soon. A cool breeze came through the small area they were staying in as if to tell her to 'move it!'

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><p>She stumbled on something, barely able to contain a shiver. <em>Damn you Cheshire! <em>She grumbled in her mind with ire. Despite getting _another _scratch on herself, she stayed silent, unwilling to break the creepy stillness in the pitch black forest. Arms filled with pieces of wood, she squinted for any sight of even the smallest sign of light.

After some unsuccessful searching, she slowed her walking. _crack. crack. _Stiffening suddenly, she felt her way through the armful of firewood, hands grasping anxiously for the largest branch. "Ha!" She whispered quietly when she found the biggest weapon she could. She tilted her ears in the direction she thought was the crackling. Now normally, a person would _avoid _going towards the noise, but sadly, Ariana lacked the common sense found in even the smallest of preys. Or maybe she thought that Cheshire was there. For whichever reason, she walked towards the crackling sound, cautious and wielding a weapon.

She stayed in the shadows when she came upon a campsite, the warm glow from the impressive fire creating a little safe haven. Spotting a large bush, she creeped toward it, trying her best to stay quiet. _Soo happy I got rid of those heels. Now if I can only find some boots for my feet I'd be happier...No, if I got the answers for those video questions! _Breaking out of her train of thought, Ariana squatted on the cold ground, quickly removing her knees from the dirt when she felt something cold and slimy crawl around her skin. _I couldn't have picked a thicker bush, could I? _The thought was filled with sarcasm. She shifted to get in a more comfortable position, slowly lowering the branches except the largest one that she gripped in her hand tightly. Her hand brushed away the large leaves in a snail like movement.

She let out a breath when she had enough room to see through the bush and into the campsite. Leaning forward, she twisted her body in small but effective movements, glimpsing a blob of brown and black. Sighing in her mind in slight annoyance, she blinked her eye rapidly, hoping to get a clearer view. Ariana shifted her body to the left when she saw a movement of white. _What's he doing here? _The boy that Ariana met sat on the ground, the warm light from the fire dancing on his shirt and the planes of his face.

He looked up, scanning the small clearing for a sight of danger. _This can be considered peeping, _a voice in Ariana's mind said. A light pink flush wound up in her cheeks, though she ignored it in favor of _looking_ at the man for...any sign of danger. _Yes, that's what I'm doing._ Dark eyes snapped to the bush she was hiding behind.

Ariana jolted back, her left hand holding part of her weight and the other squeezing the branch hard enough for her skin to lose a few layers. A sharp sting ran through her injured hand. That fall ruined any chance she had of leaving quietly. She groaned internally. She shuffled in front of the bush again, hoping that he didn't notice her little accident. _Lady Luck, please don't screw me over. _Ariana's eye looked around as best as she could in spite of the lack of size her hole in the bush had. _Where is he? _Ariana gave up her searching when she found that he wasn't in the clearing after several moments spent in vain.

Frowning, she waited with her ears twitching for even a sound. Deciding he wasn't there anymore, Ariana moved backwards on her knees, not wanting to risk the chance to get caught.

She stopped. Her breath stuck in her throat when she felt something cold, sharp, and absolutely deadly at her throat.

"Do not move or I will slice your head off in a second," he whispered, his body looming over hers even when he was crouched down.

Ariana forced herself to listen, her gut telling her he would do it. THUMP. THUMP. Her heartbeat rang loudly in her ears. _This. IS NOT. Good. _She breathed through her nose slowly, hoping that it would help her gather even an ounce of calm. Releasing her breath in a whoosh, she tightened her rein on her emotions. _Cool. Calm. Collected. Numb. _The mantra was repeated like a prayer. Her back slumped from its' rigid position the slightest.

"Stand up," he ordered. She slowly stood, not wanting for her head to pop off if she wasn't cautious enough with a sharp weapon just centimeters from her fragile neck. _No, I definitely don't want that to happen. _

She could literally _feel _his eyes on her head. It gave her an odd feeling, nervousness, something that she rarely felt.

"You were spying on me," he stated. Ariana nodded, not enough for her neck to touch the blade, but enough for him to see her response.

"Why?" His deep voice washing over her, making her fight the urge to shiver. The night was cool and the contrast between that and the warm breath that tickled her - the sensation was surprisingly pleasant in a way.

Ariana breathed deeply. "I didn't - "

"Your highness," a voice purred.

She blinked.

Once.

Twice.

"Cheshire?" And there was the cat, warming his fur next to the fire.

"If I am correct, you are not royalty." Cheshire said, batting away her unspoken questions.

"No, she is not." The boy, who was currently holding a knife to her throat and apparently had royal blood, said.

"You know each other?" She asked, and wouldv'e turned to the two of them - _if _- that damn knife wasn't glaring at her with its' surface reflecting the moonlight, as if it was flaunting the fact that it could kill her in a moment.

"Yes, Prince Cecil of Marmoreal." Cheshire said.

"I see," she murmured. Ariana moved her eyes to the hand that s_till _held the knife. "Cecil, could you remove your knife?"

Behind her, Cecil's lip twitched upward. The girl was amusing, to even suggest he follow orders, because that is what it was in his mind - orders - from a _peasant_ nonetheless, was laughable. The thought of what her reaction might be if he refused her was almost interesting. However, he had more important things to do. He removed the dagger from the girl and walked to his bag.

Giving an almost happy sigh, Ariana's leftover tension vanished. She turned her gaze to Cheshire who opened his eyes after a few moments of her staring.

"Yes?" He purred.

"We have to get back to camp," she motioned him to come with a wave of her hand.

"Cornelius stated that the answers you search for can perhaps be found with the white witch." Cheshire spoke.

"Yes," she gestured for him to go on, confused to why he would say that.

"I do not know where the white witch is," Cheshire revealed with _that smile._

Another missed rock at Cheshire's head clearly said how Ariana felt at that moment. "You mean to tell me we were lost?" Anger showing in the way her face turned red.

"Silly girl, of course I know where we are."

"Then where are we?" Ariana said, wanting to know if Cheshire actually knew.

"We're in a forest," was his nonchalant response.

In Ariana's mind, she uttered hundreds of words that showed she was a girl from the 21st century. _I'm gonna skin that cat a new asshole! That son of a freaking jackass! _

Cecil observed the girl that was acting like a spoiled child. "Girl, cease your incessant stomping before I remove your legs."

Ariana halted instantly. What little crush she had on him burst into flames with that threat. She kept her cool, though on the inside she was just screaming to throw something at Cecil. Maybe a tree. Very appealing. She turned around to face him. "My name is not girl, it's Ariana." She bit out.

He stared at her blankly. "I suggest you sit down, _girl._"

"And I suggest you not order me around, _boy._" She shot back with a glare.

"Ariana, it isn't wise to antagonize the prince here." Cheshire called from quite a distance away.

_Maybe he doesn't want to lose one of his precious lives. _She grinned faintly. _Too bad, I called dibs on two of them. _Her attention snapped back to Cecil, wiping away any trace of a smile she had. As much as she hated it, she was a peacemaker and didn't want a fight to start. _If I could just wish him away this dream would be so much easier. _Her brow crinkled as she tried to do just that. _Nope. Option B it is. At least girl is better than peasant. _She thought, placating herself.

"A truce, you call me by my name and I will _try _not to," she grimaced internally, "annoy you." There was a small chance that they would even meet again so the little meetings they could have wouldn't give her the chance to 'annoy' him. So really, she had the better part of the deal.

Cecil raised a brow at the girl. The conditions were fair and benefited him more than her. He did not necessarily have to say her name or even acknowledge her. "Very well."

Ariana nodded, a grin spreading across her face.

"Now that this little spat is over. May I make a request your highness?" Cheshire said.

It shocked Ariana that Cheshire was being so polite, and to "make a request"? Cheshire certainly didn't seem to be the kind of cat to ask for a person's permission.

"I will hear your request." Cecil responded.

"We would like to join you on your journey." Cheshire purred.

"What? Why?" Ariana asked, frowning. They had to find the white witch so she could get out of this dream. Her teacher was going to kill her if she found out she was sleeping in her class.

"The prince is going in the same direction as us." Cheshire said. Floating to Cecil, he spoke before Ariana could protest. "He is also going to the white witch."

Ariana snapped her face to Cecil's. "Could we please join you, prince Cecil?" She pleaded in a sweet voice, personality doing a whole 360. Her hands were clasped in front of her, a pleading smile adorning her face. To her, saying please and being sugary-sweet wasn't begging, it meant an easier time convincing people.

Cecil stared at the two with an impassive face. _That's a yes, right? _Ariana thought hopefully.

**- A/N:**It would help sooo much if people comment on my chapters. Encouragement is much appreciated. Basically, I have no comments so far and they do such a great thing to a writer's ego.(Really, they do) And since I'm a GIRL, that means I have a low self-esteem. (kinda) So if you want me to write faster, start !


	4. Chapter 4

The sun shone brightly on the strange place. Dawn had just broken over the sleepy darkness that encompassed Underland. Large birds varying in different sizes flew through the mellow orange and yellow sky. The occasional caw that left a striped beak broke the silence. Few minds were alert or even awake enough to form a coherent thought. Except for the rare few, the creatures of Underland slept soundly, a snore or two leaving their open mouths.

* * *

><p>The occupants of a wooden hut were one of the few that were awake. The hut was made almost poorly with its jagged angles and walls that appeared to collapse in on itself. The walls were a color that blended in with the gigantic shady plants that made up its surroundings. The door was a bleach white material that looked like a bulge against the flat hut.<p>

In the hut, a young woman sat silently, her eyes drifting to the door every few seconds. Jars and containers were lined neatly on a sturdy shelf that took up one whole wall. Sunlight gently filtered in from an intricate window located on the roof, one of the only redeeming qualities of the hut. Though the sun was rising, the hut had little sunlight due to the tall trees that shaded the house.

"Where on Marmoreal is that girl?" Her hands were tipped with sharp nails shaped into talons. The steady rhythm quickened until it became a representation of her thoughts. Erratic and fast paced. A few moments passed in oppressive silence. Standing up abruptly, she dug her claws into the bone white table that held its' perfect condition after years of being used and minutes of the torture that was the woman's claws. The woman had a mane of dark leaf green hair that flowed freely to her chest as her most distinguishable feature. Narrowed brown eyes seemed to become common to her after two weeks of failure. A simple brown dress clung to her figure.

A youthful looking female stood in the corner of the room. The shadows covered her exquisite gray pearl dress that had crimson stitching and layers decorating it. A smile slid smoothly on her pale face. "Come now, you mustn't be impatient about this. Perhaps she is being captured by a flesh eating worpel." She said serenely, hands gracefully folded in front of her waist out of habit.

"I shall kill the girl myself before that happens," said the green haired woman matter-of-factly.

"That would defeat the entire purpose, would it not?" The female seemed to float as she walked towards the irritated woman. She had a regal air about her, her movements quiet but confident. "The glass, if you will?" She stretched her hand towards the other patiently.

The green-haired woman huffed, turning to the shelf with eyes that zoomed through the entire thing in seconds. She grabbed an ornate mirror with two delicate silver handles on each side. When she turned to give it to the latter, she finally took notice of the other's apparel. "Have you gotten tired of the usual white, your highness?"

The aristocrat gave a smile, though if one looked closely, they could see that it had a hint of bitterness to it. She kept the ever present grin on her face but added a hint of warning to her tone. "Stains take a dreadful time to wipe away. Particularly white. Why ruin the white when the gray can become the shroud?"

The other woman's only sign of being tense was a strained neck that was doing its best to rid itself the habit of twitching. Her face was blank except for the tiny smile on her face. Tighter and tighter it grew with each muffled sound of tapping nails. Deciding the air was getting thicker by the second, the woman changed the subject. "Lilly is not with you today?"

The latter raised her eyebrow but kept silent at the obvious change of subject. "She desired to leave with me so I had to lock her in a cage. For such a tiny little thing, she can create quite a mess."

"Your highness," she paused to gain a way to convey her thoughts without offending the other girl, "perhaps you shouldn't keep her locked up so much. If she manages to somehow escape, then there is a small likability that you will be able to have her in your reach again."

The regal female was a reasonable woman and stored the advice for later analyzing. For now she had to get back, the sensation of not being with her people who were in times of need was like an itch that continued to pester her mind. "I appreciate your concern," was all she said as she walked toward the door. She turned to look back over her shoulder. "You will keep me notified of any developments, will you not?" Though it was posed like a question, it was anything but.

"Of course your majesty," she murmured with an incline of her head. The door shut behind the small grey dress train without a sound.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ariana was in a deep sleep, snuggling up to a large tree for some type of friction to create more warmth. The weather was warm with an occasional breeze. The 'perfect weather' according to Ariana if she was awake. Cheshire was for once, quiet. His was head resting on his arms. He lay on a thick branch, somehow able to not roll over and fall to the ground as he slept.<p>

Cheshire's furry right ear flicked back as a sound only he was able to hear, echoed again. It was the sound of a twig snapping. His eyes shot open.

Despite his somewhat hasty reaction, he floated to Ariana's side leisurely. When he was directly in front of her face, his smile grew. "Ariana," he rumbled out. Her response was to turn away from him. Cheshire stared at the small clearing for anything that would be of use. His eyes became glued on a simple apple. This was Underland though, and by 'simple' the apple was about half the size of his head with streaks of green and orange running through it. He grabbed it with his tail and launched it at her head with strange ease for someone his size.

Ariana woke up with a start. "Ow," she shouted, rubbing the sore on her forehead in hopes of easing the pain. _What the hell was that! _She answered her own question when she hissed, "Cheshire." She glared at him and his mischievous grin. The idea of burning the cat's fur brought her satisfaction. She settled for turning in her spot for something to throw at the stupid cat. A round red piece of fruit with a bruise on it caught her attention. Her hand shot out and she threw it at the damn cat.

Cheshire disappeared in a puff of smoke only to reappear at her shoulder. Ariana was used to this after such a short, but dreadfully long time with him, so her only reaction was a cold glare. "Why'd you hit me?"

"The prince is leaving and you were still asleep." He answered. He floated above her head.

Ariana twisted her neck and watched as he grabbed a piece of what looked like a large apple between two paws from the tree. The apple dropped from his paws and into her own hands. "Breakfast," was his only response.

She decided to take advantage of Cheshire's kindness and bit into the apple with an underlying fervor in her movements. _Strange. It tastes just like a regular apple only it's sweeter. _The juice trickled past her lips and on her neck. _And juicier. _She finished the apple in a few minutes and felt her hunger subside.

"Come Ariana, we must start traveling before I lose the prince," Cheshire said as he 'walked'. Ariana dusted her dress and hands off. She followed him obediently, though she was still angry at the way he chose to wake her.

They walked silently together. Ariana was wiping the sleep from her eyes for a clearer vision. She walked over a thick branch and kept her gaze forwards, starting to hum. What she didn't know was that it would attract the attention of some unwanted creatures. Though her humming wasn't loud, the forest was quiet enough that the sound carried out to reach many ears.

Unknown to Ariana and Cheshire, they were being watched. Two pairs of eyes took note of the cat and girl, recording their appearances inside their minds to report it to their leader. They vanished from the spot silently.

"Are we there yet?" Hours passed as they walked through the forest. Ariana's legs were tired from the nonstop walking. She had given up trying to walk in those heels turned into constricting flats, and was now walking barefoot, the soft ground only muting the pain in her feet.

"No Alice, just like the last time you asked, we are not there," Cheshire purred.

"My name is not _Alice_. I thought we settled this already _Cat._" The sore muscles she now had made her irritated so that she was more quick to anger.

"Politics. I will not dabble in such a thing."

Ariana rolled her blue eyes and continued to, albeit grudgingly, walk.

Half an hour had passed by according to Ariana's internal clock when a rustle to her right drew her attention. Her eyes instantly snapped to the giant spotted mushroom that had replaced the trees as they traveled deeper. "Cheshire," she whispered, turning her attention to the cat with eyes that asked for directions.

"Run, the prince is not too far from here," he hissed and vanished from her sight, just as a large creature resembling a Venus fly trap rushed out of the mushrooms with a roar.

_Useless cat! _She screamed in her mind. Her legs, now filled with adrenaline, pushed itself to create some distance between the monster and herself. She lifted her dress until it reached her mid thigh and put on a burst of speed. _Where is he? Where is he? _She hurdled over an uprooted mushroom that was, thankfully, not too thick enough for her to jump over. Her eyes flitted to the left and right of her, desperate for a glimpse of white. _Mushroom. Mushroom. Mushroom. Mushr- _a thick vine pulled on her left ankle. She fell with a thud, her right knee taking the brunt of the fall. A loud intake of breath was the only sign she was affected. Her face snapped to the vine that was attached to the creature. The vine squeezed her ankle in a tight grip, turning the skin white and creating bruises. The creature roared again, dragging her body to it like a fishing reel.

Ariana shivered, only two feet away from the face that had long jagged teeth that continued to snap in a hungry manner. _This isn't a dream. _One feet. _This is a nightmare. _Even if it was, Ariana's body and mind would do whatever it took to live. Her hand shot out to reach a thick and sharp branch that appeared in front of her. _Cheshire. _It both comforted and annoyed her that he would only give her a branch to defend herself. She gripped it in her hand and twisted her body to face the vine that held her captive. She raised her arm and brought it down to the vine viciously, stabbing it continuously with unknown strength. Thick green liquid splattered on her face, but she didn't notice. No, what she _did _notice was that the creature, in its rage, shot its neck out and bit her leg savagely.

She screamed.

She could _feel _its ridged teeth break the tendons in her left leg. A feeling akin to being burned crawled through her left leg. Black spots danced in front of her. She heard a cat yowl and the monster roar in fury. A furry hand tipped in claws landed on her arm.

"You must get up, I managed to trick the creature into going another direction, but it will come back once it finds out what has happened." Cheshire urged, tugging on her arm.

Ariana lifted herself on shaky knees, trying to find her bearings despite the pain that wracked through her leg. Cheshire bent down, a low growl rumbling through him as he wrapped her wound with a thick piece of her dress with haste. "Run," was all he said as he sailed through the air as a guide to Ariana, his tail wrapped over her arm. A roar too close for comfort sounded behind them.

Ariana half ran half limped through the forest. Her left leg burned every now and then, it gave her a queasy feeling as she imagined her tendon snapping apart. A tug to the left jarred her, but she turned to the right as directed by Cheshire. Tears sprung up in her eyes as a particularly agonizing bout of pain took over her injured leg. Blood trickled down her leg and she bit her tongue. A blur of white was up ahead of her. The monster roared. Ariana limped faster, rubbing the tears away swiftly. Through sheer determination, her mind sharpened and the pain was shoved to the back of her mind.

Cecil was a foot away from her when she felt a vine ghost along her foot. She shivered and gave a weak leap towards him. She landed a few inches in front of him, her body shaking. A roar rang in her ears and she pulled Cecil's sword from its sheath in short, swift tugs.

"Girl, what are you doing?" Cecil said in a deadly tone.

"Saving my life," she gasped as another pain took over her leg.

"Its coming closer Ariana," Cheshire said, his body disappearing until only his eyes were visible.

Ariana held the sword in weak, shaky hands. Trees fell in the monsters' wake, telling her it was getting closer. A vine seized her ankle once again, pulling her closer to the monster.

"Ariana," Cheshire hissed.

"Hurry girl," was all Cecil said.

Ariana dug the sword into the ground, tugging the monster closer.

"What are you doing Ariana?" Chesire said, worry creeping into his eyes.

"Killing it," Ariana said simply. Sweat clung to her brow but she steeled her arms. She yanked the sword away and turned towards the creature, swinging the blade in a swift motion, effectively chopping its head off. The creature's vine went slack around her ankle and the body toppled over.

She faced Cecil with a weak smile. "Sorry about that," she mumbled slowly. The black spots rushed to her vision and the pain faded. "I - " was all she got out as she dropped to the floor, mind shutting down from the pain.

**A/N:****I'm having some trouble coming up with the name of a fruit that could be in Wonderland and ISN'T real. Apparently jumbleberries AND bumbleberries are a real fruit. Does not have to contain the word '-berry', please try your best to come up with some names!**


	5. Chapter 5

Leaves and the remains of branches grew more abundant the deeper they went into their journey. The opposite could be said for the amount of noise. The cheerful chirps and bustling sounds were the normal background sound of Underland. Door sized creatures would be seen flying in the sky. Teeth clacking together to chew. Dishes being passed around and the murmuring of conversations.

This was the reason the two were on guard. It was unnoticeable to a person who didn't know him very well and was not watching closely, but the cat was indeed alert. His ears were pointed down lazily, but the tilt of his head wiped away any delusions that he was not attentive to his surroundings. The cat's acquaintance was poised for anything. It might not have seemed that way to the naked eye because of the girl he was carrying, but the arm he was holding the girl's shoulder with was positioned so that he could arm himself within seconds.

The girl mentioned however, was far from the vigilant state her companions were in. Ariana's head lolled back and forth, an expression of displeasure on her face as she shifted and squirmed in her resting place for a more comfy spot. She pressed deeper into the bed, face burrowing in the crook she had found with content. Little happy sighs escaped her parted lips. The place she was sleeping in, while a bit lumpy, had a wonderfully warm scent that cocooned her in it gently. It reminded her of a loving embrace.

The 'resting place' on the other hand, would vehemently disagree. The constant rolling the girl did irked him. One wrong move and the girl - Ariana's warm sigh brushed against the neck of one pale and agitated male. The male's arms tensed, legs coming to a halt. That was the only sign given as he dropped the girl unceremoniously.

Said girl landed in a clumsy array of her own limbs, a yelp resounding in the empty forest as she tried to regain her bearings. Her eyes landed on Cecil, who stood above her arrogantly. "What was that for?" Ariana hissed, her peaceful mood shot.

"You were becoming a hindrance, so I took it upon myself to rectify the situation." He stated.

Ariana, in her state of anger, grabbed a rock that always seemed to conveniently be in her presence whenever she was angry. She aimed it at Prince Icicle, as she had dubbed him in her mind. Her target being his snooty head. He avoided the rock with only the tilt of his head. "Cat, control the girl," Cecil ordered.

"He'll control me the day," she paused for a name nonexistent to come to her, "frubjubs sprout wings and fly!"

"Then it's a good thing frubjubs have been flying since the b of beginning," Cheshire half purred half growled out, satisfaction oozing out. _That smile_, which she had quickly come to learn, was an omen. An omen that signaled the start of her torture at the hands of a cat. Ariana fought a shiver. Her mood had been given a 160 turn. The thought of the cat being able to order her around...He would give her some lousy directions to the torture he would come up with, and the next hour, she'd be dead because he'd 'forget' that there were Ariana-eating creatures along the way.

"I was kidding." Ariana decided now would be a great time to leave the ground that had sharp branches with deadliness akin to broken glass. She leaned forward, her weight resting on her right hand. She pushed herself up, halfway off the ground when a twisting, burning pain spiked in her left leg.

Cecil had made the decision to lift the girl off the ground at the speed she was going. When she would finally stand up, the sun would have been setting if left to her own devices. The girl let out a low hiss that was only heard by him. He surveyed the girl's leg. It was obviously damaged and he forbid the thought of completing his task late. He frowned at that, though it was only in his mind would he show his displeasure. No, the girl had delayed him long enough.

Ariana barely had time to make a sound before she was lifted off the ground and carried bridal style. She lay in his arms tensely, fighting down a blush. "You don't have to do this," she mumbled. He simply ignored her, his face wiped of almost all emotion except the ever present confidence and calm. Her entire body felt warm, and it annoyed her that she would react this way. _This is - normal - though. I mean, I've never interacted with a guy this way, and a total stranger at that. It's completely normal to feel embarrassed in this situation._ She calmed herself down with that thought, relaxing in his arms as he walked, Cheshire having wisely chosen to shut his big, bird eating mouth after a look from her.

* * *

><p>A few hours had passed and the group had not shown a single sign of weariness. "They seem to be delving closer into what is not theirs," a man said. He was dressed in clothes signalling his status as a well-off merchant. Face remaining blank, he waited for the other's interjection, knowing that the loudmouth would have a comment.<p>

"Why don't we just chop their heads off right now?" She whined, pouting.

The man remained silent for several moments. "The master will not be pleased about this." His head descended into one of the few rare bushes large enough to shroud two people this close to the bridge. A hand pulled the girl's hair roughly, her figure stumbling down to the leaves. "Gah!" The girl gave her lowest yell as to not bring the group's attention. Regaining her bearings rather quickly, she rolled her eyes at the rough action and downed the bottle in her hand, gulping the contents silently.

The group passed by the bush without any complications. Moments passed by as the group left his line of sight. The man turned a listless gaze to his companion. Her face was wiped of any emotion, only an eyebrow raised in question. A silent order was given to her with one look. She withdrew from the bush, not a sound made. Like a predator, she slunk towards her objective, reaching it minutes before the group did. She opened the flask that was tied to her side by a maroon cloth. Pouring all of the contents, she watched with disinterest as the surface of the water acquired a tint of green and then faded to its previous crystal color.

* * *

><p>A constant hum sounded from a pair of lips. It rose and tumbled. Dived and zoomed. Flowed and fell. A breathing, living symphony. Yes, this was the epitome of boredom.<p>

For Ariana anyway.

This was also the reason why she was currently balancing the decision of whether to continue observing her surroundings. Something that could benefit her but also bore her to death. _OR._ Her lips gained a slight curve. Annoy the prince. It would provide her with much needed amusement. But also lead to her untimely death. _Eh, this is a dream. I can't die in here anyway. _Her left leg pulsed painfully as if to disagree. She shot it a glare.

"Ariana, it is mad to wish death upon your own leg. And this is coming from a mad cat." Cheshire said, voice caressing the word mad.

"And why do you say you are mad?" She already had a suspicion that he was crazy, but chose not to judge. She shifted until her head lay on Cecil's shoulder. If she didn't see his face, she could pretend he was a chair. A grumpy, dangerous chair that could drop her. He was currently ignoring her. Or at least she thought he was. It was hard to tell since Prince Icicle didn't talk.

"To begin with, a dog's not mad. You grant that?" He asked.

She grinned, thoughts of sweet revenge already playing out. "I met a dog that was mad. He was growling a lot because a pesky cat kept bothering it. So she bit the cat's tail off." Her shoulders shook, mimicking Cecil's actions. She liked to think that he was suppressing his laughter.

Cheshire's tail waved like a flag at the hands of an angry captain. "Then that cat will have gotten cold revenge on said dog by scratching its face off. Isn't that right Alice?" Cheshire's claws grew a dangerous gleam.

Ariana batted the veiled threat away, though a frown made its way on her face at the last part. "What were you going to say before?"

"That he is a deranged cat," Cecil said. _He's breaking out of that silent shell. _Ariana's eyes had a successful look to them as she replied. "I already knew that."

"As I was saying," Cheshire drawled. "You see, a dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad."

"And I completely agree with that statement." Ariana repeated. She swallowed with annoyance at the dry cotton feeling in her mouth. "Could we stop for a water break?" She turned to Cecil as she said this.

Cecil did not stop walking as he thought it over. The girl had gone without water since the morning. He had no delusions that he could survive by himself in the Alternar forest. If he rejected her request, then he would have to provide her water at a later time. The chances were slim that water would be available and untainted in the forest. He nodded his assent. He was given a wide smile in return. A hand was strayed near on his sword, it would not do for him to become lax.

"There is a pond this way." Cheshire was already floating to the pond that was partially hidden. The crackling trees swayed in the wind. With the dead branches covering the pond, it seemed ominous with its still surface.

Ariana took no notice though. "Off," she said to Cecil, patting his shoulder.

Cecil felt his lip curl back. He would have to teach the girl some manners after this. Belittling him with her actions. Off indeed. He dropped her once again, relishing in the pathetic yelp she made. Sadistic? Perhaps.

"Stop that!" Yes, she was getting easier to anger. She blamed it all on this stupid dream. Deciding to focus on her chapped lips and scratchy throat, she shot off the ground at half the speed she could have, hindered by her stupid leg. Cecil followed her actions, without the obvious limp and eagerness.

Ariana reached the pond, shuffling on her knees to get closer. Smiling, she cupped her hands to scoop the - thankfully - clean water. As she lowered her head to drink, she stopped halfway. She turned her head towards Cecil, curious as to why he stayed so far away from her and the pond. "Aren't you thirsty?"

"Are you not the least bit suspicious that there is a clean source of water after the creature attacked you?" Foolish girl. She was too trusting.

Ariana frowned. This was her dream, so why would there not be a safe little spot in this forest? "You're overreacting." She pointed out. She was thirsty dammit, and wanted something to drink. Turning to the pond, she brought another handful of water to her mouth. Her hands were smacked away roughly.

Water splashed over her face.

Vision blurred, she saw a red blur shoot up. A strong grip pulled her down into the water that was rapidly growing darker. Choking, she let out a strangled scream before she was dragged into the water. The sight of poisonous green eyes and the sound of swift footsteps froze in her mind. Her last thought? _This dream blows._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**Hooray! I finally put some page break signal thingies signals (btw means scene change/time change)! I know you might be used to quick and fast updates but those were chapters I previously did, so chapters I will try to at least finish one a week. Updates are now on Sunday(yes I know it's not Sunday today, I just felt like updating). Please review!And thank u to LadyKittania(FF person) for giving me that berry name, berry points (see what I did there? *wink wink nudge nudge*) to her for finding two - that's right, TWO - that came from the movie. I would not have been able to do such an impossible thing. please go to my profile if you'd like to have a choice on which Alice In Wonderland characters you'd like to see in this story.


	6. Chapter 6

A constricting feeling that squeezed her lungs with every passing second.

Dizziness.

Black spots.

Shivers of cold.

Seconds that have gone to waste as they attack your lungs the deeper you sink. The feeling of choking and gasping for air that wasn't there. Panicking and fighting the urge to scream as you hold that last bit of sweet freedom.

Freedom that will never last long enough as the fight continues.

_Air. I need AIR!_ Despite her thoughts about being in a dream, it was the very human nature that forced herself to fight for life. Ariana steeled herself the best she could underwater, spinning to face her attacker. Her moves were slow as she pushed the black blurs away from her vision. A large red scaly blur was still attached to her neck, choking her slowly, as she tried to look down through almost closed eyes. The water stung, but this was also pushed away as she lifted her head to bite with the last of her weaning strength. Her teeth bit into scales and a thick layer of rubbery skin. Despite the idea of blood in her mouth, she did not slacken off in her ferocity.

The grip on her neck did not loosen though. With a last terror-stricken thought, her mind succumbed to the soothing hold of darkness.

Cecil had already dove under the pond by the time this happened, throwing his bag in the branch of a tree. A splash was heard. Then the swishing of a cat as he glared at his wet fur.

Cecil floated in the tinted green water, the setting sun impeding his vision. The tainted water stung his narrowed eyes. He turned his head this way and that, calm in his actions. Resurfacing for a brief moment, he held in a longer breath of air, ducking back. His eyes surveyed the water. A barely visible flash of sooty blond hair and he was there within seconds, his legs propelling him forward, going deeper into the unnaturally elongated pond. The bulbous head of a fish like creature opened. A distorted yet somehow loud screech brought a mild discomfort to his ears. He armed himself, bringing the sword down with a quick and smooth slash, cutting scales and skin easily.

A large fin separated into three segments, mimicking human fingers, fell. Thick red blood created a small screen between the two. Cecil did not give the monster time to retaliate, lunging forward into the diluted blood and severing the other fin. The monster roared, small jagged teeth leading the charge it took at Cecil.

Dodging the blatant attack, Cecil turned himself, ducking swiftly as the creature launched its mouth, biting at air. Aggravated, the creature stared at Cecil. Unflinching, Cecil returned it with his own blank one.

An action from Cecil ended this stare. He had dove deeper into the water, grabbing an unconscious Ariana. He pulled her by a pale wrist sharply, the effects of staying submerged finally showing. Unfortunately, the creature had followed Cecil. His sixth sense had alerted him of the danger in time to narrowly dodge another attack, escaping its deadly teeth with a few scratches on his shoulder, sleeve torn.

Annoyance rising, Cecil decided to end the fight. He kept a tight grip on the girl's wrist, his right arm assuming a position flexible for both offense and defense with the back of the single edged sword facing the two, sword angled diagonally to his body. He had analyzed the creature's moves and could determine with deadly accuracy what the creature would do next. The dimwitted creature rushed forward with all its strength, seeming to almost vanish and reappear a few inches front of him. Despite his annoyance, Cecil allowed a corner of his mouth to twitch up for a second. His smirk vanished just as fast. Predictable. He delivered a low slash to the creature.

Effectively slicing the fish's head off.

He did not bathe in his victory. It did not require any more skills than necessary to hunt for food. A feeling of dizziness overtook his mind. Face blank once again, he sheathed his sword and wrapped an arm around the girl's waist. He swam to the surface with quick and effective movements. Breaking through the surface of the water, he took in a deep intake of air. Pushing himself towards the edge of the pond quickly, he lifted the girl out of the water and onto the ground. He did the same for himself.

Cheshire instantly appeared at Ariana's side. Her face was pale, lacking the usual milk and light peach countenance. He placed a paw on her neck, searching for a pulse, his tail swinging from side to side. Turquoise eyes hinting at worry, his ears were prickled to search for any sound from her heart._ Thump...Th-Thump_.

"Her heart beat is weak prince." Cheshire went back to his investigation. "You must do something."

Cecil did not have the energy to tell the cat not to order him. Taking a deep breath, he lifted himself up. The girl's lips had paled, the gentle red color washed out. His hands hovered over her heart. An indistinguishable emotion appeared in his eyes, before vanishing.

"Hurry," Cheshire demanded, a hiss curling at the end of the word.

He glared at the cat, dark eyes flashing in warning. Nonetheless, he placed his hands on the girl, pushing against her heart with strong compressions.

...

_11_

...

_16_

_..._

The heartbeat raced under his palm as it forced the water out of her lungs. Ariana lurched her head to the left, right arm wobbling as she held herself a few inches above the ground. Just in time to heave the water out with violent coughs. Her face tingled with an odd feeling, heat racing to her face at the intensity of the coughs coupled with a cold numbness. She fell to the ground again. Her body felt like it had just run a thousand miles. "I'm going to kill that fish," she wheezed, chest rising and falling.

The tense lines around her closed eyes and mouth relaxed as a cool sensation met her forehead.

"The prince took care of that already," Cheshire purred lowly.

"Pity," she murmured darkly.

"Girl, you have been delaying this trip long enough." He lifted her abruptly, walking away from the murky pond. As he passed by a low branch, he grabbed his bag, swinging it on his shoulder. Too weak to reply, Ariana did not offer a word of protest.

Cheshire took that as a signal to follow, large grin in place. Meanwhile, Ariana stayed silent in Cecil's arms, though occasional shivers made her snuggle closer to the warm body. Their wet clothes clung to their skin, added with the fact that as they got closer to the worn bridge, the few spots of sunlight that warmed them ever so slowly grew fewer, they were an ideal image of beautifully sick.

Ariana sneezed. "We need to set up camp." She emphasized this with another sneeze.

Cecil stayed silent but mentally he agreed with the girl. "Cat." He ordered, coming to a halt in the middle of the bridge.

Cheshire nodded. "Of course." He floated up to the top of the trees.

A slow pounding sensation in her head had Ariana stop a groan from escaping. Her eyes scanned for a distraction. Plucking a question from her mind, she gave a mental grin. "Why is Cheshire so polite with you?" Her blue eyes turned to Cecil while her hands busied themselves with getting rid of the water in her hair. Truthfully, she was curious the minute Cheshire had greeted Cecil in a cordial manner.

Dark eyes bore into hers. There was a moment of pause in which Cecil spent in - maybe - what was a time of thought.

Ariana shifted. She had grown increasingly aware of the warmth she was immersed in. She glanced down. _Avoiding? Me? No. _A shirt that did nothing to hide the gorgeous - _strong! _- She meant strong, entic - _ugh! stupid, damn look-at-me muscles! _- greeted her. She flushed with embarrassment, mentally berating herself for having such a fangirl moment. She cleared her throat awkwardly, eyes staring at anything but him.

He did not show a sign that he was aware of this. Though a thickly veiled amused look at the side of her head had her blushing even more. "You never answered my question," she pointed out, rushing to move away from the fact she was ogling him.

"Was there a reason I should?" He tilted his head to the side the slightest, onyx eyes lighting at the prospect of a challenge.

"Humor me," she said simply, gazing back at him with silent defiance. _I almost died because that damn sushi was undercooked and decided 'I wanna screw with Ariana'. I'm not letting a figment of my imagination scare me again. _Dark eyes flashed before indiscernible amusement settled.

"It seems that the first time I met him I had stopped his favorite tree from being food for a trio of tarmest," at her questioning look, he added, "creatures that feast on wood."

Ariana nodded thoughtfully. As she processed the information, she broke out in a smile. "I didn't know you were so nice," she teased.

"I wasn't," he smirked, "the tree was in the boundaries of Marmoreal and it happened to be one of the trees I actually liked."

Ariana threw her head back and laughed. "You sound so arrogant when you say it like that," she said in between her laughter.

Dark eyes shined. "I suppose so, girl." She gave a playful frown, though the smile that spread across her face ruined it. "Ariana, Prince Iceling. My name is Ariana."

"Are you sure it's not Alice?"

Ariana huffed. "Yes Cheshire, I'm sure it's not Alice," she said, shooting the cat now in front of her a dirty look. The arms around her bunched together.

"I presume that you have found a safe site?" Cecil asked. Cheshire nodded, leading the way.

* * *

><p>"Your turn," she rubbed her arms together. She gave a displeased look at her dress, the fabric was stiff against her skin and a sticky quality, that you'd usually get after air-drying the ocean watered fabric, clung to her skin.<p>

"Cheshire," was all Cecil said for the cat to comply.

Ariana hummed thoughtfully as she watched Cheshire's tail along with his body vanish. _Maybe I should save Cheshire from being beaten and get him in my debt. An obedient Cheshire. _Her lips twisted in mirth at this thought. _A wonderful thought. Though if I know anything from this cat, it's that he can disappear at the slightest whiff of danger._

_"_Leg."

She blinked. "Why?"

"Was your leg not injured?" He asked.

_More like making a rock solid sentence and thinking - no, _knowing _- that everything that's coming out of his mouth is right. _A sharp pain had her reaching to touch the back of her head. She blinked in confusion. Why was the sky upside down? She lifted herself up on her elbows.

"A little warning next time." A faint blush covered her cheeks as she hastily put her legs together, awkward in her movements as Cecil held her left leg in his hands. At the same time, she slammed her hands in the middle of the poofed up dress. No need for any more embarrassment.

He did not answer, instead choosing to remove the makeshift bandage.

She shivered.

The sudden contrast between her cold skin and the pleasantly warm finger now tracing her leg had her looking at Cecil with curious eyes.

"It's healed." He murmured.

"What?" She lifted her leg off, running her fingers over the wound.

The wound that had suddenly disappeared.

* * *

><p>PLEASE GO TO MY PROFILE TO VOTE FOR THE CHARACTERS YOU WANT IN THIS STORY! Reviews please~And thank you to people who have been constantly reviewing and reading this story!<p> 


	7. Author's Note

I HATE when authors do these things and I'm hating myself right now, but you know what this thing is. It's *cue scary music* an AUTHOR'S NOTE! *gasp* Yes, as terribly tragic as it is, I am being a hypocrite right now. I am swamped with homework from my favorite subject:English and am sucking at Chemistry and Geometry. Another excuse is that next week is Thanksgiving=laptop potato day. Hooray for no school! But more importantly, the day AFTER Thanksgiving is my Birthday! *plays music* Hip hip Hooray! *shuts music off* Since I am boring you right now I'll cut straight to the chase: I will not update this week or the next. Feel free to throw veggies at me. Preferably the fresh broccoli kind. I'm rambling too much now. Basically:If you want a teaser of the next chapter, leave a review with the word "Chocolate".


	8. Chapter 7

She continued to run her fingers over the skin despite the stares boring into her. If it weren't for the fact that she was dreaming and there was the smallest section of raised skin, she would have thought that she had imagined the whole 'bite-Ariana' incident with the fat tuna and the lousy plant. _A dream within a dream_. She hummed thoughtfully.

A few minutes passed as Ariana lingered on the subject before tossing it in the 'ponder when bored' bin of her mind.

"It's rude to stare you know," she commented in the silence offhandedly.

Not waiting for a reply, she lifted herself up on shaky legs. A small feeling of accomplishment rose in her chest as she successfully stood up without any help. Her arms were spread out, waving from time to time as she kept up her balance. Although there was no bruise on her left leg, a numb yet prickly feeling spread every now and then. Which was why she was currently half limping-half hopping.

"Girl, what exactly are you doing?" Cecil looked up at her from his position on the ground, their feet a few inches apart from each other.

She frowned. "I'm hungry," she shot a thumb at her stomach. A loud growl sounded in the forest. "See?" She hopped to the closest tree, hand stretched out to grab a branch.

"Cheshire?" She called. The cat gave a purr of acknowledgment. "Would you like to help me get some food?"

"Menial labor Alice? Surely you know me better than that." Cheshire feigned shock.

"Cecil?" She asked, ignoring Cheshire's on purpose 'slip-up'. The idea of going into a monster infested forest unarmed and injured was laughable to _Ariana_. With her luck, she was sure to get attacked again. A plant and a fish. Who knows? Maybe she'd get attacked by a worm.

She internally grimaced. _Three strikes and you're out._

_"_Your carriage has left Ariana," Cheshire grinned broadly. His body lounged on a branch, an almost silent rumble shaking his body.

_"_What?"

And there was Cecil's back.

Which was getting farther...and farther.

"Hey!" Ariana's mouth twisted in a frown, hopping with all the grace she could to catch up to his long strides. _Stupid legs._

* * *

><p>Ariana blinked.<p>

And blinked.

And blinked.

Before she turned her head to Cecil. "A squimberry?", she echoed from her hunched position.

The so-called fruit had taken an hour or so of wandering in the forest. It wasn't the fruit that was the product of her shock, no, it was the darkly emo trees that had suddenly burst into a High School Musical of sunflower yellow.

She glanced at the fruit before deeming the trees more shock-worthy. She stared at the bright yellow trees. Its intensity gave off the appearance of an illuminated tree lit up from the inside. The leaves reminded her of a lightning bug's behind.

"If you are going to be useless then I suggest you stand to the side," Cecil stated. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Back straight, his keen eyes hunted for sustenance. Mentally tracking the pattern of his prey was becoming a difficult task with the flickering of the tree's glow. His hand inched toward his boot, a thumb opening the button of a worn leather sheath that held a thin dagger. He was met with satisfaction when his finger slid on the sleek metal and a stinging cut was delivered.

"Why are you such an icicle?" The question was one of plain curiosity. It was such a shame that it killed the cat.

Cecil paused before answering. "If the cat and I did not have suspicions that you were Alice I would have cut your throat. Do not think that because I saved you I am inclined to protect you." The threat hung plainly in the dark, all the while Cecil's eyes never strayed from the fish that swam in the small pool. In a flash of glinting deadliness, the dagger he had held sliced through two bodies, nicking a third one. Thick blood merged with the murky water. The red mist rose lazily, curling and curving with movements that were almost poetic.

Ariana watched this all with trepidation and the smallest amount of fear. _Hmm...Now I know who _not _to meet in a dark alley. _She gave a lingering glance at the bloody pool. _And I thought we were finally getting along. _Nevertheless, she spoke. "I don't need your protection," her voice was laced with determination. "I handled that plant all by myself." Internally, she winced. The words sounded childish even to her.

"Yet the fish proved to be too difficult." He rose from the ground, walking back. He had memorized the route to the campsite. The very definition of preparation wrapped the fish in flannel and cleaned the dagger before placing it in the appropriate places.

His words hurt her pride. "I was doing just fine," she defended weakly, following Cecil.

"Yes, the fainting honestly helped in battle," he deadpanned.

Ariana fell silent. _I hate this dream. _

They walked on without any incidents. An occasional rustle had their heads snapping in action but it was otherwise quiet.

Ariana's lips twisted in a frown as she trudged on, hazy eyes on the ground. _How the heck is it my fault I got attacked?_ She absently ran her fingers through her hair in frustration._ He really has that stick lodged up his ass. Stupid Icicle. Where's a -_

She rubbed her forehead. _Stupid hard back._ She blinked at Cecil who now stood stock-still. "Why did you stop?" She stood on her toes as she tried to peer over his shoulder. Nothing.

"The road has stopped." He said, turning to meet her with calm obsidian eyes.

Once again she blinked. The road - she shot a glance at the road before raising questioning blue orbs. The road had not just stopped, a few feet beyond them was a large wall of indigo leaves woven with thick, twisting vines. Amidst the greenery were black fist sized mushrooms. Ariana finally took notice of the light, or lack thereof. "Why is it so dark?" She whispered, shuffling a step closer to him. She ignored their close proximity. If she thought about it, there was a chance she would get embarrassed. And embarrassment mixed with Ariana did not go together, no matter what Cheshire said!

"Alternar. A forest that adjusts itself according to someone's mood and known for shifting on a whim." He droned, as if he was reciting from a book. "Simple enough, girl?" Dark eyes silently condescended her.

The sound of teeth grinding rang in her ears. _Where's a blowtorch when you need one? _"_Crystal_. Now why don't you take that shiny sword of yours and cut through the wall so I can leave. Ok, _boy_?_"_ She bit out, a hiss curling at the end. _Arrogant know-it-all. _

Wounded pride was a horrible thing.

A dark shadow seemed to loom over Ariana's shorter form instantly as he took a step towards her. The air ceased to move, threatened into a hush at the oppressive hostility radiating from the male. Chests only an inch apart, his voice seemed to take on a dangerous edge. "Care to say that again peasant?" A snarl morphed his face, the handsome features giving way to a feral appearance. Promises of torture crashed into the smaller of the two. Despite the eyes boring into her, she didn't bat an eyelash. Ariana lifted her head up until her neck ached with the tension her entire body held.

Seething dark eyes clashed with blazing electric blues in a battle of wills.

The entire forest was deadly silent, though the tension radiating from the two stubborn beings screamed a thousand words. A scarlet red glow cast their faces in fierce lights.

"Why? Has the Prickling gone deaf?" She hissed, voice low and sharp with growing anger.

"I should cut your tongue out you insolent girl," he growled, hand inching towards his sword.

"I'd like to see you try you asshole!" She shouted in his face, electric blue eyes lit up in a way that seemed as if white lightning rumbled in the determined orbs. Goodbye Quiet Peacemaker, say _hellooo_ to Pissy Missy.

A hand grabbed her neck, a gentle force that warned her she was grating on the last of his patience. A force that reminded her that he had the ability to crush her. That he could kill her. _Heel,_ was basically what he was trying to say. Flaming hot heat swarmed in her cheeks as another wave of anger crashed over her.

"I do not fight against weaker opponents. Particularly peasant girls with sense that is nonexistent and cannot even put up a fight against a lowly fish." Disdain managed to drip from his emotionless voice.

Hell. To the Fucking.

NO.

Ariana leaped towards him furiously, tackling him to the ground like a wild tiger despite the hand at her throat.

Now, while Cecil was a trained fighter against creatures Ariana had never seen. Ariana was a creature that Cecil could not even begin to understand. That was why said 'trained fighter', was currently on his back with a girl gaining the upper hand.

"Fuck you," she spat, pinning his hands down from her spot on top of his chest. Her legs were on the sides of his stomach, and the position would have been provocative if 1)there wasn't a hand trying to strangle her 2)they looked like they wanted to kill each other and 3)Ariana wasn't on top for more than a few seconds.

A hand jerked her neck down, forcing her to budge forward as to not cut off her air supply. And suddenly, - her breath left her, her head slamming on the – thankfully – soft ground as her world turned upside down.

She glared up at him.

Pale red lips pulled into a smug and taunting smirk. Though his eyes retained their hard edge, they glinted in an interesting mix of amusement and anger. "Weak and crude. I wonder if you have any redeeming qualities."

"Yeah, it's called being better than you," she retorted. She threw a punch at his face.

"I highly doubt that." He caught her fist nonchalantly, lowering his face down until there were only a few inches between them. Onyx eyes looked on coolly as striking narrowed eyes rose to the unspoken challenge.

Tomato red trees dimmed to a faint simmering heat, unnoticed to the two. The leaves and vines of the once impenetrable indigo wall disentangled from its knitted form, shifting and receding to become a work of natural beauty that resembled a lofty gate. Towering over the figures, the vines gradually broke into needle thin branches, twining to form reluctantly tangled clasps. The girl's pale ash blonde hair was fanned out, the straight strands a stark contrast against the trampled black-green grass. The two beings seemed to glow against the maroon backdrop. The male's analytical obsidian gaze was constantly weighing the girl underneath him. With such a cold intensity it could make any lesser being cower beneath his eyes. The rather petite female met his stare defiantly, continuing to fight back with determination and a stubborn will.

Cecil's eyes took on a different look. "Prove it," the voice's lowly murmured command rang in the still forest.

Blue orbs took on a confused look for a second before showing the same stubbornness it did when talking to Cecil. "How?"

"Survive in this forest by yourself for one day. _If _you can prove me wrong, I will -", he was cut off as Ariana rushed in with her demand. "- be my servant for a whole day."

A cold glare was sent. "No."

"Afraid I'll beat you?" She grinned, almost forgetting _he _was the one with the upper hand. Almost.

Hands tightened on her wrists, bruising the tender skin. "As low as the chances are that you are apt enough to survive," Cecil dismissed Ariana's scowl, "I am not foolish enough to gamble my freedom away."

Ariana gave him a look as if to say "yeah, right, like I'm gonna believe that".

He gave her an amused glance before slowly rising, hands still gripping her wrists. "I was right, you're too weak to do anything by yourself." His words were aimed to hurt her.

Her face that had held a victorious smile when she saw Cecil rising in defeat, shattered. "I am not weak!" He did not pause in his movements, leaving Ariana to scramble off the ground. "I'm not!"

Silence. Ariana jerked his wrist back, trying to force him to stop his arrogant walk and wishing she could punch his stupid face. "One night."

Finally. His dark eyes met hers, holding her gaze and her words. It was as if he was judging her, burning that promise deep into her very being so that she wouldn't back out. She fought the shiver tingling across her spine. _I think I just sold my soul to the devil. _He did not smile or show any emotion outwardly, but the glint in his eyes – akin to approval perhaps – had Ariana smile just the slightest.

* * *

><p>Back at the camp, a gray and neon-turquoise striped tail swung. "They left me."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN**:really sorry this was so late. But at least I didn't wait until tomorrow! Hope you liked this chapter, I know that I did. Please review and vote for what characters you want to appear in this story!


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: I have no excuses for the amount of time it took to write this. The ending didn't quite turn out the way I had envisioned, but I like it. To make up for the long wait, this chapter is MUCH longer than the others. Well…sort of. It's 8 ½ pgs! Whoohoo! Please leave reviews and tell me how it was! Hell, leave me some questions and I'll answer them if they don't ask me to reveal too much! Enjoy!

* * *

><p>Whistling wind blew through the desecrated landscape, a cloud of dust rising and falling sleepily. A myriad of night-filled colors obscured the sky as the ethereal moon replaced the shining sun, the land cooling slowly with every dip the blazing star took. Silver scales glided through dispersing gray clouds, an aquatic tail swaying gently from side to side. As the spotlight from the moon reflected off large scales, a metallic glow glinting from every intricate spot, dim lights were flickered onto the ground. The gentle sway of the creature passed by soundlessly.<p>

The land was barren, cradled between dry palms of lifeless landscape that was left to rot in its abandonment. Crumbling rocks were scattered in its arrangement. A broken down tower and dried out trees that had decayed over the years lay over black and white. If a rare traveler was passing these lands, they would've thought the random blocks of color made the place even more unique with its eerie presence. Dust gathered from time dirtied the white spots that formed half of the ground. Dried liquid that caked the white's counterpart somehow managed to taint the black stone further.

From an aerial view, the black and white blocks that seemed disorderly at a glance to passersby formed a large and well-constructed chessboard. A battle had taken place. A battle that had reached every single crevice of Underland. The air hung with dread over the entire landscape. Thick enough to be a fog and light enough to be unnoticed, the crawling presence was a creepy residence in the desolate place. If one had to compare their feelings of the land to anything, it would have been likened to a cemetery. Obligated toleration and happy indifference mixed bitterly. History spoke of the battleground with reverence and as the catalyst to freedom. Yet there were lingering doubts that were agreed upon unconsciously that the place was to be avoided. Not a creature had went against this unspoken consensus...until a few years ago.

_Click. Clack._

White blonde hair swayed with each step that was taken from small, almost nonexistent heels. The only sign of the woman's excitement.

As she neared a rough, gnarled tree, she revealed a white pouch that was previously held in her pocket, the folds of the dress concealing it perfectly. There were no signs that showed any amount of unease one would have felt at such a place.

A mist of black and purple was blown from the palm of nimble, pale hands. As if a smoke of poison, the mist sunk into the tree, eradicating an inch of worn wood, revealing a hollow trunk that gave way to a deep hole possibly hundreds of feet deep. She put away the pouch, descending into the hole and dropping below the depths of darkness.

Grains of wood slowly replaced itself, sealing and melting into place without any evidence of what happened.

White-blonde hair flapped in the wind as the woman plummeted to the ground to meet her demise – or so it seemed. The hole was pitch black and the smell of dusty dirt encased the female's form. There were no signs of anything to hold onto, yet she remained calm. At the last moment, a rapidly growing light at the end of the hole revealed a large, fluffy bed. Four feet tall, the mattress was shown to be worn out with feathers and springs occasionally sticking out.

In a display of childishness, her bottom met the bed like one would when jumping on a new mattress, sending her body a feet in the air again before gravity pulled it back down. She quickly bounced off the mattress and landed on her heels, the ground muting her graceful landing. Her appearance remained spotless, the fall only shifting a few strands of unnoticeable hair. Mood light, she strolled down the narrowing hallway without a falter in her step despite the black emptiness that shrouded most of her vision. The hall lit up gradually with every step she took until there was a dim glow bathing the curved walls.

She stopped.

Two guards were posted at each side of the walls. It would be difficult for an enemy to sneak past without raising any alarms. There were only two entrances to this place, the tree and a well-hidden door serving as an 'in-and-out'. Two opens, one exit. Unless the enemy either had a)the ability to spider walk up a twenty foot hole and laser eye their way through a tough-ass tree or b) somehow found the door – the chance of that being as likely as finding peace with Cheshire - then they better buck up, because these guards would demolish them. Taught by one of the best knights, the guards were one of the top ten fighters in this deserted piece of land and a whopping eight inches of kick-butt. Yes, they were short - incredibly short, ridiculously short, 'passing Midgetville and kicked smack-dab into TeenyTinyTown, population: 100 ants' short - but their skills made up for it. With their backs against the wall, heads straight, and a tiny paw on their swords, they made the picture of alert soldiers ready for anything.  
>Too bad it didn't fool her one bit.<p>

With a smooth-as-cream smile, she raised a closed hand and a slender foot, slamming them down on two dozing heads, receiving a shout of panic and a groan of pain.

"We're under attack!" The shorter mouse screamed beneath the helmet his head was now stuck under, drawing his sword and swinging it this way and that, as if to ward off invisible attackers, completely missing said 'attacker' that was now a foot away from his sword. It didn't even cross his mind to remove his helmet.

His companion that was unfortunate enough to get the pointy heel to the head, was in a heap on the floor, letting out a low groan that instantly reached the furry ears of his swinging comrade.

"Oh God!" The short mouse wailed, shoving the helmet off with ease. "They killed Kenny!" He cradled his friend's body, rocking it back and forth roughly. "You bastards!" He shouted.

"It's Kenneth, you idiot!" The not-so-dead mouse growled, punching his idiot of a friend's face.

Right into the line of sight where the woman stood.

The woman that was currently smiling.

A smile that drowned others in its deadly sweetness.

A smile that was a tell-tale sign of injuries to come.

A smile...just a downright _creepy_ smile.

"Your highness!" The small mouse squeaked, scrambling up and casually pushing Kenneth's body to the ground, ignoring the 'I'm gonna kill you' that came from the heap. "You're back!"

Her smile grew with each step she took towards the guards.

_Click. Clack_.

Louis and a now stick-straight Kenneth unconsciously shivered as she bent down to their height.

"Nice to see you two are doing your job", she said, smile wide. Perfect teeth that had gained a subtle sharpness glinted in the low light, the only sign that she was actually baring her teeth at them. "I won't have to worry about enemies threatening to break every one of our limbs' at a time and skinning our hides because I know", another drawled out glint as dark eyes drilled into them, "you'll constantly be on the look-out." _'So if we're somehow attacked, I know who's to blame. And we both know you two aren't going to get a chance in Crims if you think I will let the enemies give you a reprieve before I'm finished torturing you...And it WILL be torture_.' The looming threat was clear.

Louis' head jerked several times hastily as he fought the urge to run away screaming with his tail literally tucked between his legs. "Of course we will", Kenneth reassured, hiding his nervousness better than his dunce partner.

"Wonderful," her smile doing a full turn as she stood up. "I must get going now, but I'll be back to bring you two some company, being on constant guard can get tedious." Her eyes remained on the two.

"No nee - ". A paw smacked Louis' mouth close, suffocating his word. "It's the least we can do, your highness. You're welcome here any time." Kenneth said smoothly, one paw still covering Louis' mouth and the other holding his struggling head in a choke hold.

She sent an amused glance at Kenneth then Louis. "Don't keep him there too long, I'd hate to lose such a good fighter."

"As you wish," Kenneth bowed, forcing Louis' head to brush the ground as he yanked his neck down harshly in the same bow.

She tilted her head in acknowledgment before walking away.

Louis tugged out of the loosened choke-hold with a punch to Kenneth's chest, a hiss escaping the latter.

Low whispers of "you idiot!", "- never doing...", and "all your fault", led her out of the two guards' sight. She chuckled softly as she continued on.

Finally reaching a fork in the road, several of them actually, she strode into the fourth tunnel without hesitation, reaching the end of it rather quickly when she broke into a quick yet calm pace. The bright glare from the new light met her as she ducked under a low ceiling to enter the spacious room. The stench of sweat and cloying flowers instantly filled her nose. Yet she welcomed it with fond irritation.

"Welcome back your highness", the sweaty occupants of the room managed to chorus as she revealed herself. Smiling, she greeted them warmly. "It's wonderful to be back."

* * *

><p>The sound of cracking twigs and dancing fire was all that was heard in the forest of Alternar. Relishing in the warmth of her work, Ariana sighed contently. Her dress did little to shield her against the cold night air. The toasty feel of the fire was a blessing to her immune system though. The cold had completely vanished!<p>

And everything would have been fine – well, as fine as it could be with her being stuck in a dream – the cat wasn't here to bother her, she was warm, it was quiet, there was no disappearing cat that could lead her to her death, did she forget to mention that Cheshire wasn't there? Yes, it was a wonderful bonus, and she would've been fine_ if_…..Cecil had not started cooking the fish.

The smell of food had reminded her she was hungry, and now she was forced to hear the sounds of fish being bitten into, - releasing even more of its delicious scent – chewed, and swallowed. Ariana knew he was doing it on purpose, the sounds of his eating were almost inaudible before her stomach had growled loudly. Now? Now the sound was loud enough for anyone who listened within two feet to hear. And in spite of this, he still managed to look noble doing it.

She frowned, blue orbs unconsciously narrowing even more on the food in pale hands. Black eyes flickered up. She quickly shut her eyes and dug her nails into her palms. _Ignore it Ariana. Just ignore it and it'll all go away._ Despite this, her traitorous nose twitched. She resisted the tingling urge to swallow as she forced her attention on something else. A tree. Yes, that would do. Green leaves and a brown-ish trunk. Logs. Firewood...like that fire that's cooking – NOTHING! Yes, no fire there. Twigs. Thin pieces of dead tree. Used for things. Roasting, burning stick. Roasting, crackling stick. Stick used to hold a roasting, cooking, delicious fi-i-i-iiii – finger! She blinked.

Damn.

Perfect white teeth closed on the food as black eyes observed the girl. Strange little peasant. How could she expect to withhold her end of the bargain if she did not fight back? If it did not go against his entire being to snort, out loud and mentally, he would have. Instead, he settled for meeting her stare. Strange indeed.

"Yes?" He decided to humor her as nearly glowing blue eyes glared at him.

A light red flush rose up her neck and cheeks. In frustration or at being caught, she didn't know.

"Stop flaunting the food in my face," she hissed.

A dull stare, which was strange since his black eyes were already so blank, was given as if to say 'you are a moron and should be killed for your idiocy'. Glaring, she shot up, and in a turn of furious silk, marched away into the dark forest in reply._ Stupid Iceling thinks I can't get my own food. I'll show him._ Ariana pushed away the occasional branch that decided to get in her way and trudged on. The silence that permeated the forest not hindering her the least as she ignored it in favor of pouring out her frustrations onto the ground with every stomp.

_Where the hell does he get off thinking he's better than me?_ She strangled the tiny voice in her mind that said he did no such thing and that she was being irrational. As she wandered around, every moment relieving her of her anger, her common sense slowly trickled into her brain.

_Where..._

Looming branches seemed to jump at her as their shadows created creatures that came to life in her paranoid mind. Sharp inky claws lay on rough trees. Monsters hid in the shadows waiting for their morsel.

_...am I?_

She finished circling in the spot as she finally registered the fact that she was completely lost. Inhaling deeply, she admitted that it was immature of her to have acted so recklessly. Releasing her breath, she turned around in the direction she had come from. _Which is where?_ She tried to quell her rising panic, randomly choosing a direction and walking with quick steps. Running would just serve to acknowledge her fears that she had indeed seen a pair of eyes watching her.

The rustle of branches and _squelch!_ of wet floor trying to capture her into the ground was enhanced as her soft breathing rang sharply in the night. The third time she saw the flitting shadow following her and the flash of yellow eyes, she ran.

It didn't fully register in her mind that the dry, solid ground had suddenly become wet and slippery with the ability to lead her to the hands of the creature. That the trees that were beautiful in their dark majesty had grown sharp and ragged with grasping hands. No, the girl was too consumed with trying to escape.

Whispers and taunts drowned out the sounds of her panic. Snapping and cracking, the twigs announced the invisible entity, who flitted to and fro, never making enough noise for her to pinpoint its position before suddenly changing it again. Cloudy blue eyes tried in vain to see through the dark, grasping for any amount of light it could find. The sound of tearing cloth was ignored in favor of shoving the branches that grasped at her scratched skin. _Hiss._ A nip to her ankle had her weary body working against her mind to go faster.

A gasp was locked in her throat as the teasing feeling of sharp, grasping claws flitted on the skin of her ankle. She jerked forward. It was _playing_ with her.

Her arm shot out and grabbed at one of the hundreds of branches scratching her skin. Ignoring the splinters she had just willingly lodged into her palm, she tore it off rather easily as the momentum from her running coupled with her desperation rendered it from a chance to swing back towards the creature. Not giving herself a moment of doubt, she turned to the creature. The whisper of leaves and muted silence was all that surrounded her as fingers tightened on its' only weapon. There was no sign of it. She forced herself to stretch her senses and focus all her attention on her ears and eyes. Her heartbeat lulled until it was only a steady drum, fear had it pounding yet her decision to stand firm steadied it. The groaning of wood filled the quiet clearing and two hands moved the branch, prepared to defend its owner against any attack.

Where was it? Right? No. Left? No. Behind? No.

Her head snapped up. Above?

Claws slashed forward and bright red blood was scattered in the darkness.

The moonlight shone down on the scene as a pale shaking hand reached up to touch the warm liquid that flowed from its owner's quivering neck. A choked sound came from the throat, shock and fear constraining the owner's actions.

A blood stained hand was held in front of her mist-filled eyes. She stared at it in confusion. This was her blood. This was her – the muddled sounds of light footsteps had her snapping her eyes up.

He stared at the peasant, his calculating gaze taking in her fright and her disbelief, all of those little emotions that she was laying out. As he neared her, he paused, the corners of his lips subtly pointing down. He walked passed her to his dagger that was stuck deeply in the tree. The rapidly cooling body of the gaunt creature dropped to the ground as he gave his dagger a strong pull. The hole left in the body revealed poisonous green blood that sizzled as it came into contact with the grass. The smell of burnt grass and rancid flesh reached Cecil first.

It was the sound of the body that had her turning to him. Dark gray-blue eyes watched the motionless creature, looking for even the slightest of twitches. She let her hand lay heavy and limp at her side. Her stomach felt queasy and the urge to throw up was increased by her continuously clenching throat. It was the smell that made her lose her stomach's contents. Disgusting and thick as it crawled up her nose and hung in the back of her mouth. It was like spoiled milk and trash but a hundred times worse. She ran to the nearest bush, the splatter of vomit upon the forest floor loud in her hot ears as she held back her hair with a clammy hand.

She panted, forcing herself to stay standing. She wiped her mouth with the corner of her hand, the slightest of spit dirtying her hand. Her hair cocooned her flushed face. Ash blonde strands, some stained with blood, shielded her eyes from Cecil.

He stared at the form of the slouched peasant. Her small shoulders trembling as she fisted her dress with the only clean hand she had. He strode towards her, his face carefully blank. Indecision had him stop a foot from the girl. She struggled to stand up to her full height, her back still to him. Resisting his urge to sigh he made up his mind.

It was embarrassing, she thought to herself, resenting her currently weak body. Dark feelings ran through her, frustration at herself the most prevalent. Ariana suddenly froze. The light hand awkwardly patting her head had her struggling to connect the concerned Cecil with the Ice Prick she had the misfortune of meeting. It was a warm feeling, however small the gesture was, it spoke of something past indifference and annoyance. She gave a small smile that was hidden from him. She steeled herself, turning towards him with renewed strength.

He only gave a minute nod before handing her a small bundle. She loosened the tie, her hand that contained the drying blood holding it carefully and revealing the squimberries they had been searching. They were about one and a half inches big with purple skin reminiscent of Barney, her seven year old mind's nemesis. A green stem adorned it. Its appearance was simple, something completely out of place in Underland. She picked one up with her somewhat clean hand and shot him a curious glance. Eyebrows furrowing lightly she was about to eat it when he stopped her.

"Take the stem out if you do not wish to become sick" he instructed, grabbing the squimberry and pulling the stem to reveal a thin hole in the fruit that almost went through both sides. The stem was close to an inch long and had thin, sickly purple veins running along it. He ate it, giving her a pointed glance that told her to do the same.

Ariana followed his actions before holding it to her lips for a brief second. Biting her lip, she ate it. And it was….a small grin tugged her lips as the taste of cool berries danced across her taste buds, the lingering taste of vomit vanishing. She grabbed another. And another. Her body feeling the slightest bit refreshed.

"You were weak", Cecil stated, watching her for any rebuttals. He narrowed his eyes when she didn't answer, only tilting her head down to shield her own eyes as she gave him the half empty bundle. Her appetite was lost.

"I know", she whispered. An air of defeat hanging around her as her hand hovered above her softly bleeding wounds, the blood clotting slowly in its attempts to heal. His silence was her answer. Suddenly growing frustrated at his lack of response, she met his hard judging eyes with her own feverish gaze. "I'm weak and I know that. What am I supposed to do? I tried protecting myself. I tried so hard and I had to be saved for all of them. I was almost killed three times – this one was the closest thing I ever had to facing death. And I…I actually _thought_ this was just a fucked up dream." Her voice was pained as she continued to talk. "What am I supposed to do? I'm only sixteen! I don't even know what I'm going to do when I grow up and now people are shoving their expectations down my throat! The largest problem I had before I came here was a stupid piece of paper and now I have to be careful of every single thing because people think I'm Alice and they want me to either save them or for my head to be on a pike! I'm_ not_ Alice! She should be the one facing this shit! I don't know what I'm even doing in this world!" She screamed, hot tears of frustration and stress running down her face.

It was too much. She could barely hold onto her hope when each time it sprouted, someone was there to snatch it away. She was just a normal girl, not suited at all to fighting or death. The heavy silence grated on her frazzled nerves.

He stared at her impassively. "Well?" She shouted, fisting her dress. "You are a pathetic little peasant who has no spine," he stated. "You talk about your troubles and whine when it becomes too difficult." His black eyes flashed with an unknown emotion as he stared down at her. "Fight back," he said, hands roughly grabbing her shoulder to force her rapidly cooling gaze onto him. "When people try to sabotage you, fight back. When people try to crush your spirits, fight back. When people try to _kill_ you,_ fight back_. And when people try to make you lose hope—" he bore his intense eyes into her own, pushing her to answer. "Fight back," she whispered, staring into his eyes that burned coldly with an all-consuming confidence. "You _destroy_ them for even _thinking_ that their pathetic attempts at persuasion can change your mind", he hissed, shining black eyes staring back at determined blue orbs. He watched as her down tilted chin raised up in her own silent defiance, her shoulders losing their slouch, her lips becoming a stubborn line, and her eyes hardening with resolve. Yes, this was the idiotic girl he had met, the first one to foolishly take his sword and the one that had no manners when stations were concerned. He looked at her with approval.

Ablaze blue eyes suddenly grew bright with mirth. She laughed. The delicate and sweet sound of it ringing in the forest as she wiped away her tears. "That's the most I've _ever_ heard you say Cecil", she grinned at him, face glowing with happiness.

He glared at her before turning around and walking away. Ariana would've been worried if she hadn't seen the almost nonexistent blush on his face. Eyes a beautiful glowing light blue, Ariana smiled as she caught up to him, not even looking back at the corpse of the creature that was the closest one to succeed in killing her.

And if she looked back on this, it wouldn't be the last.


End file.
